Assessment of tumor margin during surgery is essential to the optimal outcome of many oncologic procedures. Tumor margins are the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor, more specifically, the distance between the tumor tissue and the edge of the surrounding tissue removed along with the tumor. Ideally, the margins are selected so that the risk of leaving tumor tissue within the patient is low.
Fluorescence image-guided systems can be used in conjunction with a series of imaging agents to visualize tumor margins during surgical procedures for cancer removal. However, in many cancer surgeries deep surgical cavities with closed spaces and hidden linings pose significant challenges for the use of over-head imaging systems. This is particularly true for breast-conserving surgeries and treatments of head and neck cancers. Discharging bio-fluids and small fields of view also can compromise the utility of handheld fluorescence devices for margin assessment at the surgical cavity. Therefore, intraoperative diagnosis on resected surgical samples promises to be a more effective means for margin assessment in many surgical cancer treatment applications.